Show Prep (and a mini studio tour)

Oh dear, it's been a while.  Nothing like a show or two or four to get in the way of blogging, and pretty much life in general.  But I love doing the knitting shows, both wholesale and retail.  It's a place to catch up with friends and customers, meet other vendors, see what's new and learn what's going on in the industry, and get the creative juices flowing. 

Next up on my show schedule is Sock Summit in Portland, Oregon.  I especially love this show.  Just big enough to be big, but small enough to not be overwhelming.  Held every other year.  Happy and excited shoppers -- seriously, at the first SS folks in line where chanting while waiting for the marketplace doors to open on the first day!!  That kind of enthusiasm is infectious.  I had a great time in 2009, and am really looking forward to this year.

Since my life is pretty much centered around show preparations these days, I thought I'd give you a little peek at where I spend the better portion of my days.  My studio is really just a small spare bedroom, but I have two big windows that let in plenty of natural light, which is necessary for the type of work I do.  I have a nice view, and can watch the quail and rabbits run by.  It's a pleasant place to work, and while not the big workspace of my dreams, it does quite fine.

The first requirement of a working studio is coffee.  Lots of it.



Markers to the left of me:

Fibers to the right:

Here I work, right in the middle, at a circa 1904 oak desk.  When we moved to this house, the movers had to take the window out of the frame and bring the desk in through the gaping hole, because the desk wouldn't fit through the doors.  It's big.  And heavy.  They just don't make furniture like this any more. 

To the right of the desk which you can't really see is an old armoire that I've repurposed into a craft storage cabinet.  One side of the cabinet holds needlework supplies, fabric and the like, and the other side has cords, ribbons, inks, and all kinds of miscellaneous stuff.  The armoire, while not big, can hold a lot of supplies, and it's a great way to keep neat and organized.  Since I tend to spread out all over the place, the armoire helps keep my little space under control.

In back of me is the carder, where I prepare my fiber batts. 

Next to the carding table is a Sears Craftsman tool chest, chock full of beads.  In the opposite corner, not shown, is a spinning wheel and a loom (which is quite handy to pile stuff on). 

A close-up of my desktop.  Notice anything new?

And then there is Dunkin the supervisor, asleep on the job in a little cubbyhole of the desk. 

It's a comfortable little workspace.  Which I am off to right now, because Sock Summit is rapidly approaching!